my $prefHash = FigWebServices::SeedComponents::Framework::get_preferences($params);
Retrieve the current user's preferences. The preferences are stored in the user directory,
in a file named framework.conf. The single argument is a reference to a hash with
the following elements.
FIG object used to access the data store.
Name of the user whose preferences are desired.
Directory containing the user preferences.
Returns a hash containing the user's saved preferences. The hash is produced by executing the contents of the user's preference file.